Last week, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton issued a memo to employees directing them not to respond to media without first consulting with newly hired Public Information Officer Scott Alonso.
Alonso, who has been on the job for about a month, will develop a broader media policy in the future.
According to the memo, “In order to establish more consistent messaging and internal communications when responding to media requests, please send all requests first to Scott Alonso our Public Information Officer. This includes, but is not limited to, requests for statements or comments made by phone, electronically, or in person for any matters pertaining to the office.”
Alonso will then coordinate a response plan.
Alonso defended the media response plan citing they were “best practices” and other agencies across the state have a similar plan—including other departments within Contra Costa County. He also cited the District Attorney’s Association also recommends a PIO coordinate all media outreach.
“This is an effort based on what other public safety officers do and what most local governments, including Contra Costa County,” said Alonso. The District Attorney’s office has never had one before, but they were trying to hire one.
Alonso added that the goal is to increase transparency and increase the public’s knowledge which is what he hopes to do as public information officer.
He also explained the policy will not restrict media access, but rather help facilitate the flow of information and ensure all questions reporters have get answered and responded to.
“Our office will respond in a way that allows for coordination internally,” explained Alonso. “Just a reporter calling a staff member, what if that staff member doesn’t get back to a reporter. My job is to make sure they do call back and requests are fulfilled. All reporters will be treated the same.”
According to the Memo, which was provided by Records Request, it states:
In order to establish more consistent messaging and internal communications when responding to media requests, please send all requests first to Scott Alonso our Public Information Officer. This includes, but is not limited to, requests for statements or comments made by phone, electronically, or in person for any matters pertaining to the office. Scott will coordinate the internal response plan for each request, including designating a spokesperson. Scott will help the proposed spokesperson work on a response to the inquiry. Prior to any statement being made, Scott will consult with the appropriate senior manager, which includes myself, the Chief Assistant District Attorney, the responsible Assistant District Attorney and Senior Deputy District Attorney.
For any press releases that we want to generate internally, please send your request to Scott. He will work with you to finalize the press release and gain approval from the managers mentioned above. I will make the final approval.
Scott will develop a broader media procedure in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, please follow the protocol in this email before speaking with the media or responding to a media request about all matters pertaining to this office. His desk line is 925-957-8638, cell phone is 925—— and email is [email protected]
Paul Graves, who has been with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office for 22-years, and is running for District Attorney this June against Becton, blasted the policy calling it restrictive and a step in the wrong direction.
This new restrictive press policy is a move in the wrong direction. The unmistakable lesson from the previous administration is that the public needs more – not less – information about what is going on in the District Attorney’s office.
My 22+ years of experience as a prosecutor have taught me that maximum transparency with the press and the public is vital to keeping our communities safe.
When asked if the policy was politically driven right before an election in June, Alonso stated he couldn’t comment on it and did not have a comment. Instead, defended the policy.
“This is something that the prior District Attorney was trying to do. This office has been trying to hire a PIO. Most larger county departments have a PIO and a media policy in place. This is an interim protocol and will adjust as needed,” said Alonso.
Becton has been sitting as the appointed District Attorney since September of 2017.
Editors Note – ECT removed Scott Alonso’s cell phone number from the memo.
3 comments
Further proof that Paul Graves needs to be our ELECTED Contra Costa District Attorney.
A resounding YES! We have to get rid of this woman! How in hell did she get into this position?
Clearly this move will make the dissemination of public information about the Contra Costa DA’s office more orderly and professional. The new public information officer is trained and experienced in handling press inquiries. Most public agencies have a public information officer now, such as the CoCo County Sheriffs Department – they have had one for many years. DA Becton was appointed to the DA’s office to make reforms, and to clean up the mess that Mark Peterson made of the office. From what I can see she is doing a fine job.
For starters, she has ended this men-only-get-to-be- in- management- policy the DA’s office had for many years, I am just thrilled to see that go. Geez, it’s 2018, not 1950. Diversity in public hiring and management is the norm now – it’s been that way for years, but not at the backward Contra Costa DA’s office – you got hired by who you knew, and how well you were connected politically. And only men got to run the show, that was part of the DNA of the office.
Paul Graves, I should mention was part of disgraced ex-DA Mark Peterson leadership team, yet he’s trying to claim he’s the guy to reform the office, even though he has been at the office for years. His claims that he’s the reformer are ridiculous – he’s part of the old order, try as he might he can’t change that. The Board of Supervisors wanted to clean up the mess, end the cronyism at the DA’s office, and this is happening because they had the good sense to appoint an outsider like Becton to the office. It no more business as usual at the DA’s office, real reforms are taking place, it’s a new day at the DA’s office, and I am thrilled to see that happening.
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